CBP Field Operations at the Hidalgo International Bridge Nabs Man Wanted for Sexual Assault of a Minor

Release Date:

April 24, 2014

HIDALGO, Texas — Officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Hidalgo International Bridge arrested a man from Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico who had an arrest warrant from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office for sexual assault of a minor.

“This arrest reaffirms the border security aspect of our mission,” said Efrain Solis Jr., Port Director, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas. “Anytime our officers encounter a wanted person wanted on crimes of a sexual nature, particularly those involving children, their actions to confirm the warrant, as well as the subject’s identity and coordination with our law enforcement partners helps to keep our community safe.”

CBP officers working at the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge on Wednesday, April 23 encountered Marcos Alberto Ramirez Ruelas, a 26-year-old male Mexican citizen, as he attempted to enter the United States as a pedestrian. During the examination, CBP officers discovered that Ramirez Ruelas was a possible match to an outstanding warrant. Officers secured him and escorted him to secondary, where biometric verification through CBP and law-enforcement databases revealed that he was an exact match to the sexual assault of a minor warrant from Santa Barbara.

The charges, three counts of sex with a minor, including felony statutory rape, filed in 2008 were for an incident which allegedly occurred in 2007, involving a 14-year-old female. Mr. Ramirez Ruelas apparently absconded after posting his bond. After confirming he was the subject of the warrant, CBP officers turned Ramirez Ruelas over to Hidalgo, Texas police officers for transport to the Hidalgo County Jail where he will await extradition procedures back to California.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.